Smoked Celery Root with Browned Miso Butter and Hazelnuts

Celery root might not look like a party when it’s sitting there in the vegetable aisle. A bit lumpy, a bit dirty, and not exactly the type to make the first move on the dance floor. But on the grill, with low heat, mild smoke and browned miso butter, it becomes something else entirely. The inside turns soft and almost creamy, the outside gets a dark roasted surface, and the flavor lands somewhere between roasted root vegetable, nutty butter and grown-up umami.

This is not a vegetarian alibi next to the meat. It’s a BBQ dish in its own right. I like to serve it in thick wedges with hazelnuts, parsley and a few drops of apple cider vinegar. That gives you fat, acidity, saltiness and crunch. It’s hearty enough for a main course, but also works as a really good side for lamb, pork or grilled chicken.

Celery root is also perfect if you want to practice indirect grilling without risking an expensive piece of meat. It tolerates time, it responds nicely to smoke, and it shows clearly what happens when the surface is allowed to dry, roast and get brushed at the right stage. And yes, it looks a lot more impressive on the plate than it does raw. That’s a fair little revenge for an ingredient that so often gets left standing in the corner.

The recipe at a glance

• Servings: 4 as a main course or 6 as a side
• Prep time: 20 min
• Grilling time: 1 h 30 min–2 h
• Grilling method: indirect grilling with mild smoke
• Grill temperature: 300–320°F
• Done when: tender all the way through, about 200–210°F in the center

Why you should try this recipe

Celery root has a deep, earthy sweetness that gets even better when it’s roasted for a long time. On the grill it picks up a flavor that oven roasting can’t quite give: a little charcoal, a little smoke and a drier surface that soaks up butter in a very pleasant way. Browned butter brings nuttiness, miso brings saltiness and umami, and apple cider vinegar lifts everything so it doesn’t feel heavy.

This recipe is also a great fit for mixed grill dinners. If someone wants to eat vegetarian, it shouldn’t feel like they’re getting a grilled compromise. The celery root can sit in the middle of the platter, with sauce, nuts and herbs. It’s cut into wedges much like a steak, and that does something for the feeling at the table.

Swedish recipes for celery root are often oven-based. They can be really good, but the grill adds an extra layer. Here you get the whole BBQ mindset: smoke, indirect heat, brushing, resting, texture and serving. That’s where BBQLovers can make the ingredient a little more fun.

Recipe: Smoked Celery Root with Browned Miso Butter and Hazelnuts

MetricUS

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Ingredients

Celery root

• about 1 large celery root, 900 g- (2 ¾ lb)
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 small piece of apple wood or a handful of apple wood chips

Browned miso butter

• 3½ oz butter
• 1 ½ tbsp light miso paste
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 small garlic clove, grated

Topping

• ⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Flaky salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Scrub the celery root thoroughly. Cut away the root hairs and any ugly spots, but don't peel off everything. The surface helps build flavor.
2. Rub the celery root with canola oil, salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
3. Set up the grill for indirect heat at 300–320°F. Use a heat deflector in a kamado or a two-zone setup in a kettle grill. Add a little apple wood once the heat is stable.
4. Place the celery root on the indirect side and close the lid. Let it go for 1 h without brushing.
5. Brown the butter in a small saucepan or cast iron pan until it smells nutty. Take it off the heat and whisk in the miso, vinegar, honey and garlic.
6. After about 1 h, start brushing the celery root with the miso butter every 20 minutes. Turn it a few times so the heat is even.
7. When the celery root is tender all the way through and a skewer slides in without firm resistance, it's done. The internal temperature often ends up around 201–208°F.
8. Let it rest for 10 min. Cut into thick wedges and spoon over more miso butter.
9. Top with hazelnuts, parsley, a few drops of apple cider vinegar, flaky salt and black pepper.

Grilling method: how to get it right

Celery root needs indirect heat because it has to get tender all the way through. Direct grilling only gives you a burnt surface and a raw core. Think baked potato rather than grilled zucchini. You want even heat around the vegetable and a lid that keeps the smoke in.

A kamado is very good here. It holds moisture and keeps the temperature stable. A Weber 57 also works well, with the briquettes on one side and the celery root on the other. On a gas grill, run one or two burners on low and put the celery root where no burner is lit directly underneath.

The smoking wood should be mild. Apple is my first choice, but alder works too. Use a little. Celery root takes smoke on the surface, and you want the miso and browned butter to still be heard. You’ll find more guidance in the guide to smoking wood.

Temperature, time and signs that it’s done

At 302–320°F, a large celery root usually takes 1 h 30 min–2 h. Smaller ones can be done in a little over an hour, while really big ones may need more time. A thermometer helps, but the skewer test is at least as important. The skewer should slide into the center with no raw resistance.

The surface should be dark, a little wrinkled and roasted. It’s fine if it looks almost too dark in places, but it shouldn’t taste burnt. If the surface is going too fast, lower the temperature or move the celery root farther from the heat source. Don’t brush too early; let the surface dry first so the butter doesn’t just run off.

Which grill works best?

A black Kamado Joe Classic is perfect for this recipe because it gives stable indirect heat and makes it easy to smoke gently. The Weber 57 is the best classic alternative and gives a nice charcoal flavor. A Napoleon Rogue or another gas grill works when you want to cook in a more practical and clean way, but do use a smoker box for a little extra BBQ feel.

Whatever grill you use, the goal is stable heat. Start calmly. The guide how to light your grill the right way is a good foundation if you want to avoid hot, stressful embers that burn the surface before the middle is tender.

Serving suggestions

As a main course, I like to serve the celery root with grilled sourdough bread, a dollop of yogurt with lemon, and a salad of apple, parsley and thinly sliced red onion. That gives you creamy, crunchy, tangy and smoky in the same meal. It feels properly vegetarian, not like a side dish that happened to get its own plate.

As a side, it’s spot on with lamb, pork collar or chicken. The nutty miso flavor means it also works next to simpler grilled meat with just salt and pepper. If you want to keep the whole dinner green, you’ll find more fitting ideas among BBQLovers recipes.

Björn’s tips

• Scrub it, don’t peel it to death. A bit of the surface gives more flavor. Just remove what’s woody or dirty.
• Brown the butter gently. It should smell nutty, not burnt. The miso goes in afterwards so it doesn’t split.
• Brush once the surface has dried. That way the butter sticks better and builds flavor in layers.
• Finish with acidity. A few drops of apple cider vinegar on the plate make a bigger difference than you’d think.

Common mistakes

The first mistake is running too hot. Celery root is dense and needs time. Too much heat gives a black skin and a hard middle. The second mistake is using too much smoke. Root vegetables can turn bitter if the smoke is heavy, especially when they’re served without the fat of meat as a balance.

A third mistake is going easy on salt and acidity. Celery root is sweet and earthy. Without saltiness, miso and vinegar it easily turns flat. Taste the miso butter and adjust before you brush the last time.

Variations and adjustments

Swap the hazelnuts for toasted pumpkin seeds if you want to make the dish nut-free. Parsley can be replaced with chives or dill for a more Swedish note. If you want more heat, you can stir ½ tsp chili flakes or a little gochugaru into the miso butter.

You can also cut the celery root into thick slices from the start if time is short. The grilling time then gets shorter, about 45 min–1 h, but you won’t get quite the same juicy middle and dramatic surface as when it’s smoked whole.

Why this recipe works

Celery root has a natural sweetness and lots of aromatic, earthy notes. Indirect grilling lets the starch and fibers soften slowly while the surface dries and roasts. The dry surface helps the miso butter stick better and lets the Maillard reaction build deeper flavor.

Browned butter contributes nutty dairy notes, miso brings saltiness and umami, hazelnuts add crunch, and the apple cider vinegar cuts through the fat. The smoke settles mainly in the surface and reinforces the roasted flavor without taking over. That’s why the dish feels both rich and fresh, even though the main ingredient is a simple root vegetable.

FAQ

Do I need a kamado to smoke celery root?

No. A kamado is handy, but a kettle grill and a gas grill set up for indirect heat also work well.

Can I make the recipe vegan?

Yes. Swap the butter for a plant-based alternative or olive oil. Choose a product with some richness so the miso has something to carry it.

What internal temperature should celery root reach?

It’s usually tender at around 201–208°F in the center, but the skewer test is the most important. It shouldn’t feel raw or hard.

Can I prepare the celery root in advance?

Yes. Smoke it until almost done, cool it down and then reheat it gently on the grill with the miso butter before serving.

What goes well with smoked celery root?

Yogurt, apple, a tangy salad, grilled bread, lamb, chicken and pork all go nicely. Keep the sides fresh so the dish doesn’t get too heavy.

This is the kind of dish that makes people take a second look at the platter and ask what on earth you did to that celery root. The answer is simple: a little smoke, a little patience and butter that was allowed to misbehave. Good BBQ food doesn’t need to be any more mysterious than that.